It is said that concepts of proper societal and governmental leadership were born in ancient societies, that principles from pagan religions can be seen in modern Christianity, and that even today’s approach to morality and ethics is owed, for example, to ancient Greek philosophers and others from that long-ago time. In thinking of the Mediterranean World and the origins of influential ancient societies such as Rome and Greece, particularly how it applies…
World History
Events That Led to World War II
What events occurred in Europe in 1938-1939 that led to World War II? Following the circumstances of the Great War, several events occurred throughout Europe that precipitated the Second World War. The rise of fascism in Italy resulted as a response to the Versailles Treaty of 1919. Benito Mussolini created the Fasci Italiana di Combattimento (Italian Combat Squadron), which called for two things: 1) a totalitarian form of government 2) a heightened…
The Depression & the Rise of Extremist Groups (i.e. Fascists and Nazis)
The crash of the United States stock market on October 29, 1929 triggered a global depression in which extremist groups such as fascists and Nazis were allowed to thrive. Between the years of 1929 and 1933 prices would fall, output shrank, and unemployment soared as the world economy collapsed. The U.S. market lost two-thirds of its value, the British market one-fifth, and the German an astounding one-half. Unemployment in the U.S. had…
World War II
World War II was unquestionably the largest and most significant armed conflict in human history. While it may have officially begun when Adolf Hitler’s Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, roots of conflict stemmed from the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and the resulting Treaty of Versailles. Placing the full blame for the First World War on Germany, the treaty demanded heavy war reparations from the country. Because of this, the…
Consequences of World War I: The Paris Peace Conference & the Russian Revolutions of 1917
In what ways did the failures of both the treaties and the League aggravate the unresolved problems of the war? What were the primary internal causes of the Russian Revolutions (March and November), and what role did the war play in these two revolutions? Following the end of World War I in 1918, 70 delegates from the 27 victorious nations gathered in Paris at Louis XIV’s palace in January 1919. The Paris…
Class Differences in Nineteenth Century Europe
What were the crucial class differences in how people lived in Europe?: The upper class (aristocrats), the middle class (industrialists, bankers, shopkeepers, professionals), and the lower class (peasants, laborers, workers). Why was it clear that socialism and revolutionary movements were popular among the lower classes? What differences were there in the various countries and why? Why did so many people immigrate from Europe to Australia, the U.S., Canada, Argentina, etc. in this…